Irpex lacteus polysaccharide exhibits therapeutic potential for ovarian fibrosis in PCOS rats via the TGF-β1/smad pathway
Yan-Yuan Zhou,
Ya-Qi Wu,
Chao-Jie Chong,
Shu-Mei Zhong,
Zi-Xian Wang,
Xiao-Hui Qin,
Zhi-Qiang Liu,
Jun-Yang Liu,
Jia-Le Song
Affiliations
Yan-Yuan Zhou
Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541199, China
Ya-Qi Wu
Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541199, China
Chao-Jie Chong
Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541199, China
Shu-Mei Zhong
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541199, China
Zi-Xian Wang
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541199, China
Xiao-Hui Qin
Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541199, China
Zhi-Qiang Liu
Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541199, China
Jun-Yang Liu
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541199, China
Jia-Le Song
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541199, China; Department of Clinical Nutrition, Second Hospital Affiliated to Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541100, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposomics and Entire Lifecycle Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541199, China; South Asia Branch of National Engineering Research Center of Dairy Health for Maternal and Child Health, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China; Corresponding author. Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541199, China.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the commonest endocrinopathies in childbearing women. The research was conducted to assess the impact of Irpex lacteus polysaccharide (ILP, 1000 mg/kg) on the letrozole (1 mg/kg)-induced PCOS model in female rats. Metformin (Met, 265 mg/kg) as the positive control. The study suggested that ILP restored the estrous cycle in rats with PCOS as well as lowered relative ovarian weight and body weight, in comparison to normal. Rats with PCOS showed improvement in ovarian structure and fibrosis when given ILP. ILP decreased the testosterone (T), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), luteinizing hormone (LH), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and insulin (INS) levels and elevated the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estrogen (E2) levels in PCOS rats. In addition, ILP increased the content of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in serum and the antioxidant enzymes (Prdx3, Sod1, Gsr, Gsta4, Mgst1, Gpx3, Sod2 and Cat) expression levels in the ovaries and decreased the serum expression of malondialdehyde (MDA). In addition, ILP treatment slowed down the process of the fibrosis-associated TGF-β1/Smad pathway and downregulated α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) levels in PCOS rats ovaries. According to these findings, ILP may be able to treat letrozole-induced PCOS in rats by ameliorating metabolic disturbances, sex hormone levels, oxidative stress, and ovarian fibrosis.
